What You Should Know About National Dental Hygiene Month

Senior Care in Upper St. Clair PA

October is Dental Hygiene Month. As a family caregiver this is the ideal time for you to evaluate your parent’s dental health habits and how those impact your parent’s wellbeing. Understanding how taking proper care of your parent’s mouth can help them to take care of their entire body can help you to make meaningful modifications to your parent’s care routine that will keep them healthier as they age in place.
 
Some things that you should know about National Dental Hygiene Month include:

• Dental hygiene issues among older adults are common because many of these people grew up without fluoride in their drinking water or other dental products, or frequent dental care, all of which are important for preventing dental issues
• Being economically disadvantaged often contributes to the prevalence of dental health issues, particularly when it includes not having access to dental insurance
• Members of racial or ethnic minorities are more likely to have dental health issues
• Being physically or cognitively disabled put an elderly adult at increased risk of having oral health problems
• Elderly women are more likely to experience negative oral health consequences than older men due to the fact that older women tend to have lower incomes, less savings, and may not have ever had dental insurance related to a career
• Approximately 25 percent of adults over the age of 60 throughout the United States no longer have any of their natural teeth
• This number accounts for one in every four of the adults in this age group
• Approximately 42 percent of adults over the age of 65 who live in West Virginia do not have any of their natural teeth
• Not having natural teeth can negatively impact your parent’s nutrition because they will be less capable of eating hard or crunchy foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables
• Infections in the mouth can spread throughout the body, leading to sepsis, liver problems, kidney problems, cardiovascular disease, and digestive issues
• Approximately 31,000 Americans are diagnosed with an oral or pharyngeal cancer each year
• These cancers lead to 7,400 deaths each year
• Elderly adults are more likely to experience these cancers than any other age group.

 
Starting senior care for your aging loved one can be a fantastic way to help them maintain better dental hygiene as they age in place. The senior home care services provider can be with your parent when they need additional support, assistance, and care to encourage them to create a hygiene routine and keep up with it. With these personalized service your parent can take care of their teeth, gums, and the rest of their mouth so that they can take care of their body as well. This means that they will suffer less pain, discomfort, infection, tooth loss, and bad breath that can impact not just their functioning, but how they feel about themselves. This can give you greater confidence knowing that your parent is in good hands whether you are able to be with them or not.
 

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Upper St. Clair, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Liken Home Care.  Call (412) 693-6820 or (855) 856-0551

 
Source:  https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/publications/factsheets/adult_oral_health/adult_older.htm